October 17th - one year smoke free

[Pamster]

Not saying it was easy, it's been hard. I have family members who still smoke and it does bother me a bit. I don't mention it though and of course I am not going to risk falling off the wagon again, I have quit three times now and that was hard enough. This time it's been one year and starting towards two. :)

Just wanted to post and encourage anyone who's thinking about giving up smoking to know it can be done. :)

[teddiebears]

:D :D CONGRATULATIONS
ON ONE YEAR SMOKE-FREE!!
WAY TO GO!!

[jingle]

WOW
Way to go
Congratulations -- that's SO wonderful.

[Pamster]

I am so happy to be free from it. It was holding me down so bad. I am so glad that I am over it, for now at least. :)

*That just means if my life fell apart and things were to go real badly I might fall off the wagon and start smoking again. I hope it doesn't happen, but I know the potential is always there.*

But for now I am free. :D

[jingle]

Pam -- the reason I got on that wagon is because my life was getting pretty rocky. Some really smart doctor told me I had a brain tumor that just HAD to come out :eek: I knew I was going to be spending a lot of time in the hospital that would be miserable enough with out being desperate for a smoke.
I had brain surgery, breast surgery, ~sob~ lost my 18 year old cat and dealt with a husband who was totally FURIOUS with me because I let things go so badly. All the cigarettes in the world wouldn't have changed a thing.

Anyhow - I hit one year on Oct. 10th :D

[Pamster]

Congratulations on being over one year smoke free!

Feels pretty good doesn't it? I am sure you have been through some rough times from the sound of it and I hope that your surgery went well. I can't imagine how hard that must have been to get that news. Did you have migraines or something that prompted them to look for something like a tumor? I am glad you are still smoke free, it inspires me to keep AWAY from them, thanks for posting your story. :)

[jingle]

Pam - Everything with my surgeries was fine.... the docs were sure my brain tumor was benign and the breast was malignant. Ooops ... it was the other way around :eek:
But all is well and the every-3-month brain MRI check-ups are 100% clear.
It all started in - good grief - 1990 when I started having seizures. A CT scan saw "something" in my left temporal lobe they thought was a mass that needed the immediate attention of an MRI. The people reading the MRI said it was completely clear so I was diagnosed with idiopathic epilepsy.

Since then I've been having seizures, miserable migraines and, worst of all, taking every kind of ~shudder~ epilepsy drug. About 2 years ago I started complaining to my neuro that something was wrong, seizures were changing, I was having memory problems, speech problems and was forgetting how to wood carve (my life). He told me I was whining and trying to get attention.
ditto for husband. Finally neuro said he was sending me for MRI just to prove nothing was wrong and make me shut up ............... He phoned that night and said I had brain tumor.
We managed to get the 1990 MRI films and the tumor showed just fine !The idiots reading it couldn't see it. That sort of tumor is a SLOW grower and apparently it grew just a tiny bit to make me "feel" it. I haven't had a seizure since it was removed in Feb. this year.

Sorry I talk so much :o

[Christine]

Pam...

365+ days and still counting!

Yah! Git on, now!

You're the one driving that wagon! You're the one cracking that whip!

And... after all this time, you probably don't even notice (or feel) yourself holding the reins in your own hands! :D

Congratulations!

Roll on!!!

Christine ;)